The Lamb and the Savior
by xBigDreamsxo
Summary: Original    A lost boy finds salvation. But not in time.
1. Chapter 1

_Even days later, it's all fresh. the news of his death. All is too sudden, too younge, too innocent. I'm the only one who will stand out in the rain as his coffin is lowered into the earth. Everyone else has too much selfishness to step out from the tent to say their last goodbyes. Or is it that i am too selfish to let him go? The rain disguises my face as the tears fall into the ditch along with all other forms of water. Everyone else leaves, but I stay by his side till the very end, until even his coffin becomes invisible to my eye. Even then I can remember the first day I laid eyes on him. His bruised body and ice blue eyes that made my heart melt. How every time he cried, I died a little inside. Remembering him sneaking back home in the dead hours of the night just to find me awake and ready to scold him. I always thought I'd be the onw to fix him. But, I was all too wrong. And ultimately it lead to his death, his strange addictions. All I have left of him is the memories, good and bad, and regrets of how I wasn't there for him._  
><em>_<em>

This month I had no idea how to pay for rent. Working two jobs, plus volunteering at the local library wouldn't suffice and i had no way to make any extra cash. I drove down the road hoping some solution would come to me. But no matter how many mind-numbing yellow stripes flew past me, I couldn't think of one way to make up rent money. I stopped my car in an appartment complex, laying my head on the steering wheel, sighing and hoping something good would happen. Minutes passed and I finally grabbed the pizza case from my back seat and stepped out of my car, walking up some two flight of stairs to find the right address. After double checking the numbers, I knocked. A breeze sent a chill up my spine, pulling the case closer, hoping some pizza warth would rubb off on me. Seconds passed and impatience started rising in me, i raised my fist again to knock just when the door opened.  
>In the most irritated voice I could conjure I greeted the slimey old man that ovbously hadn't own anything but a wife beater and some boxers in many years. "Good evening sir, that'll be $14.87."<br>He handed me a twenty, "Keep the change, kid."  
>"Thanks." I exchanged him the pizza. Getting a $5.13 tip was the high point of my night so far.<br>I started down the hall to the stairs when I hear a shattering crash. Like some vase was just smashed into a wall. Following this heart-pounding sound was a thud. I figured domestic violence was common in neighborhoods full of crack dealers and gangs. Every time this happened when I was on pizza boy duty, I always figured I'd get a show, even if it were all audio. Since that was my last delivery of the night, I decided I'd sit at the top of the stairs and see if i could hear any action. Instead, the door of the room opened and out stumbled a boy. He was tall, about 5'8". Skinny, as if he hadn't eaten in weeks, his skin bruised and pale. His skin so fair, he seemed fragile. His hair was long and shaggy and the most beautiful natural black I'd seen. He wore loose grey shorts with a black tank top. Every now and then, these domestic violence cases make me feel bad for gaining entertainment from the victem, this was one of those. He looked over at me, as if in slow motion, his ice blue eyes cutting deep into my soul. the red gash above his right eye brow took away from his beauty. So unstable, he fell into the wall as if it were his best friend there to hold him up. I quickly stood and went to him, wrapping one arm around his waist, the other wrapping his arm over my shoulders. He eyes flickered up towards me, "Who are you..?" his voice was weak.  
>"I don't think that really matters right now. What happened to you?"<br>He shook his head, "Nothing, I'm fine."  
>"Your lack of balance and bleeding head tell me otherwise."<br>He looked down and crack a smile, my heart stopped and no other thoughts went through my head. "I'm used to this... I'll be fine." His voice was barely a whisper. I said nothing, my mind could barely comprehend what he said. "Hello?"  
>I shook my head, "Sorry.. what?"<br>He was staring at me, his eyes sad, "Can you let me go?"  
>My heart sunk, he needed help and at the moment I was the only to give that to him. "I'm letting you go." I stopped as soon as I heard what I had just said. He obviously heard it the way it sounded and stopped dead silent, looking at me as if I were some serial rapist. "No, I meant..!"<br>"What do you want from me?"  
>I sighed, "Nothing." I looked toward the door, "whoever is in there.. did they hurt you?"<br>"Doesn't matter." he looked down, so it obviously mattered.  
>"It does. You know it's illegal to hurt someone intentionally?"<br>"I know that..."  
>"Then why are you allowing it?"<br>"You don't understand."  
>"Then explain."<br>"I can't." his voice has barely a whisper by now.  
>"Why not?" I whispered back.<br>He stayed silent for a while as if trying to figure out if he could trust me or not, "Because I need some money, and if this is the worst of it, I'll gladly take it."  
>I didn't want to believe what he just told me. "What?"<br>He shrugged away from me, "Nothing, I need to get back." He reached for the doorknob.  
>I blocked his way, "No, you're not going back in there. You don't need to sell yourself. I'll pay double what he is if you just come with me and let me fix that, " I motioned to the gash.<br>He looked at me in disbelief, "Why?"  
>"You shouldn't have to steep down that low to survive."<br>He looked down, "No, why are you helping me."  
>"Didn't I just say-?"<br>"Not just anyone would stop and help me. Why is Alex the pizza boy helping me?"  
>I frowned, "How do you know my name?"<br>He flicked my nametag, "That's the least of your worries... Now answer me."  
>Smiling, I looked away, "Damsel in distress?"<br>"Damsel?" he seemed offended.  
>"Along those lines."<br>"Well this 'damsel' is fine. I've had worse."  
>I rolled my eyes, "Then let me be the best."<br>"Sounds like your asking me out."  
>"Would you say yes?" I chuckled.<br>He looked at me, "No."  
>"Chill, I just want-"<br>"What? A cheap whore for the night. You're 'good samaritan' act doesn't work on me."  
>"I don't want you for sex."<br>"Like i haven't heard that one before." He stepped away form me, into the light, his arms and boney legs covered in bruises.  
>"Then don't believe me. I'm not letting you go back in there. I have morals too high for that."<br>"I also have bills too high for you to stop me."  
>"I said I'd pay you."<br>"So you do want-"  
>"No!" I ran my fingers through my hair, "Listen. If you don't want me to help you, whatever. I'm done fighting with you when all I'm trying to do is save you."<br>"I don't need saving."  
>"You obviously do! Have you seen yourself?"<br>He went silent and slowly looked down at his arms. He began to shake.  
>"Oh, no, I'm sorry..."<br>He began to weep, hiding his face in his hands.  
>"Oh, fuck." I went to him, and hugged him gently, being too afraid to break him, "I didn't mean it.."<br>"I'm such a mess. My life is ruined."  
>"You're still young, you can turn yourself around before it's too late."<br>He shook his head, "It's already too late."  
>I fell silent. We stood together fro several minutes, me holding him and him crying into my chest.<br>"Does your offer still stand...?" I looked down at him, surprised to actually hear him talk again.  
>"Of course it does."<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

I watched him sleep. Curled into a small ball, covered by a plain blue blanket. Sipping at my coffee as the minutes passed by, he never moved. I was starting to wonder if he had died. But the subtle moving of the blanket with each of his breaths was a reminder that I didn't have to run back to the appartments and break someone's neck. Though I had to smile, him asleep was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. In a way I didn't want him to wake up, because then he'd want to leave. I'd gotten too used to his innocence, his exsistance, in the past few hours that it was starting to become a little creepy to me. I glanced down into my coffee cup, the bottom showing through. Out of the corner of my eye I saw blue lifting up from the couch. I looked up at the fragile boy who was rubbing his eyes. "Goodmorning, sleepy head."  
>"What time is it..?"<br>I glanced at the clock, "About ten."  
>He swiveled his body, laying his feet on the floor, "I should get going."<br>I raised an eye brow, "Eager to leave?"  
>"No, it's just-.."<br>"You can stay as long as you want." I stood, "I don't mind." "I've already overstayed my welcome."  
>I laughed, going to the coffee maker to pour another glass, "Says you. Last time I checked, I owned this appartment so I make all of the rules."<br>"You've done your job.."  
>"So?"<br>He sighed, "I'm not going to win, am I?"  
>"Surrender quickly." I went back to my chair, pulling my knees to my chest and taking a sip, "Like coffee?"<br>He shook his head.  
>"That's sacreligous you know?"<br>He cracked a smile, "No, I didn't know that."  
>"Lemme guess, you're a tea freak?"<br>He nodded, "Will I go to hell for that?"  
>"I wouldn't worry about it."<br>"I doubt tea would be the reason I go to hell.." he looksed down, his fingers playing with the frayed edges of the blanket.  
>"What, you kill someone?"<br>"No."  
>"Stole a man's wife?"<br>"No."  
>"Robbed a bank?"<br>"No."  
>"Then it seems your good in my book."<br>He shook his head, "Didn't you know? God loves everyone but gays."  
>My eyes dove down into the black liquid, "Gay?"<br>He looked at me, "It's not obvious?"  
>"I don't really tend to play the sexuality guessing game."<br>"Oh.." he went to playing with the blanket, "I think now's a good time to leave."  
>"Unlike 'God' I don't judge people based on their preference of lovers. Nor do i care if they're under my roof."<br>"It's always awkward for a straight man to let me enter their house. Unless the have a pocket of cash and a life full of woes to take out on someone who can't survive on their own."  
>"So what I got out of that is you think I'm straight? Or just some pimp."<br>"In a way, yes."  
>I nodded, "Well, who's judging now?"<br>He fell silent.  
>"You must be starving. Want some breakfast?"<br>He shook his head.  
>"Alright. What do you want?"<br>"I'm fine.."  
>"I don't seem to have that. Try again."<br>He cracked a smile.  
>"How about pancakes?"<br>He held up one finger towards me.  
>I smiled, setting my cup on the table and standing to go to the kitchen. I heard small footsteps behind me, I turned around to see him sitting up on my kitchen table, his legs swinging back and forth. He made me chuckle at how much of a kid at heart he was. I poured the powder into a bowl, added water and began to mix.<br>"You sure that's all you want?"  
>"Yes. I don't eat much."<br>"I can tell." I looked back at him with a smile.  
>He didn't think it was too funny, his face was a mixture of anger and hurt.<br>"Lighten up little bird." I turned back to the bowl, turning the stove top on.  
>"Little bird?"<br>"You surely eat like one."  
>I heard a small laugh behind me, "So what? I'm your pet bird now?"<br>I glanced back at him with one eyebrow raised, then turned back to my cooking, "Pet bird.. Hm. Every animal I've owned doesn't seem to like the idea of living in my presence."  
>"Oh my.. That doesn't seem like a good idea to me then."<br>Smirking I whispered to myself, "I wouldn't mind it though."  
>"What was that?"<br>"What was what?"  
>His tone became agitated, "What'd you say?"<br>"I didn't say anything."  
>"You're lying to me."<br>"You know what I just realized?"  
>"You're avoiding my question.."<br>"I don't even know your name."  
>"And you won't know it until you tell me what you said."<br>I turned to face him, "It is Rumplestilskin?"  
>He broke into a big smile and started laughing. I'd never seen this boy so happy, and it was nice. His smile warmed my heart and his laugh made the world a better place.<br>"No, it's Riley."  
>"Cute." I turned back to the stove, pouring batter into a skillet and placing it on the burner.<br>"Cute?" I could feel the pout in his voice.  
>I jumped when the sound of a koo-koo clock went off, "What the hell?" I turned and looked at Riley who was digging through his pockets and pulling out a small silver phone and flipped up the top.<br>"Hello? Oh hello Marie. No, no one kidnapped me. Yes, I'm alive." he rolled his eyes, "No, I'm not in the slave trade."  
>I chuckled and went back to cooking, flipping the half cooked pancake.<br>"I'll be home soon, I'll talk to you when I get there. Alright bye." he closed the phone.  
>"Who was that?" i was trying to hold back my laughter.<br>"My roommate. She can be a little over-protective of me."  
>"Little?"<br>He laughed, "I'm like her little brother."  
>I flipped the pancake onto a plate and held it out to him. He gently took it, thanking me.<br>"Well, " I leaned agianst the counter, " I guess I have to let you go from my dungeon eventually."  
>He looked up at me, slowly chewing.<br>"Can I lat least get your number?"  
>"So you can stalk me?" he swallowed.<br>"So I can take you out."  
>He stared at me with those icey blue eyes, I couldn't tell what he was thinking and silent seconds passed by.<br>"Take me out?"  
>I nodded, "A date? You surely know what those are."<br>"I do, it's just.."  
>"Weird?"<br>He nodded, "But nice."  
>"Nice?" I scowled.<br>He glaces around the table, quickly grabs a pad of paper and a stray pen, scribbling something down at it. I watched him in silence. He tore off a bit of the paper, folded it in half and held it out to me. I took it, unfolding it. The contrast of the black numbers on the white paper brought me to the realization that he just gave me his number. I smiled.  
>"You can call whenever." he smiled at me, finishing up his pancake. "Deal."<br>He looked toward the door, "I should get going though before Marie gets too worried."  
>With a nod, I picked up my jacket, "I'll take you home."<br>"You don't have to. It's not that far of a walk."  
>"On your twiggy legs, it is. Where do you live?"<br>"The appartments on 31st street."  
>I shrugged the jacket on, "It's on the way to work. It's no problem." I looked at him, realized he was wearing only a black tank top and a pair of my old sweat pants. "Let me get you a jacket first."<br>He sighed, "You don't need to get me a jacket.."  
>I was already off on the search, digging through my closet, "Deal with it, I don't want you to freeze."<br>"I've been in worse weather."  
>"Then let this be the best."<br>He sighed, giving up.  
>I rummaged through the clothes, picking out a plain grey jacket that was one of my personal favorites. I handed it to him and he obediently slipped it on. I went to the door, grabbing my car keys out of the basket. Riley was standing behind me and followed me down the stairs and to my car, climbing into the passenger seat and pulling his seat belt on. <div> 


End file.
